Rotary engine.



No. 630,648. Pamnfed Aug. a, |899.

n. E.v raawran.V

nTAnv ENGINE., (Application led Apr. 19, 1899.) (No Model.) y 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

' Patented Aug. 8, |899. R. E. BREWER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. 19, 1899,)

4 Sheets--Sheel 2 Nn Model.)

WITNEEIEIEE .M, i C?. 94M.

No. 630,648. Patented Aug. 8, |899.

' R. E.'BRE-WEB. v

ROTARY ENGINE. (Application med Api. 19, 1999.)

4 Sheets-Sheet '3 (lo Model.)

www w w Hllllll, INNW \H||H||n W NB,

NFI-[455555 No. 630,648. Patented Aug. 8, |899. R. E. BREWER.

ROTARY Enamel (Application led Apr. 19, 1899.]

(No Modal.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

b y .l Y@ I l \l I l wm I 'NITED STATES ATENT (DifiricJE.l

'ROBERT' BREWER, o'E Bos'rcN, MASSACHUSETTS.

l ROTA-RY ENGINE.

saneren: anionfer-ming pea efnetfere resent ne. 630,648, desea aeg-usr s, 1899.

Y 'ippneenen mea prix 19, im. spun ne. 713,594. un man.)

. To dll whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. BREWEn,-of Boston', in the county of Suffolk and Statefof Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Imprcvementin Rotary En gines, of which the following is a specification.

Thel purpose of my 1nvent1on`isy toi-utilize the expansible quality of steam to greater extent than has heretofore been possible.

lo this end my invention in its preferred form consists in a roll provided with two or more threads having'an increasing pitch from the inlet end of the roll to the outlet,l the whole being inclosed in a casing, in which are also contained two rolls, one on each side-of said threaded roll Vand grooved to receive the threads' on said first roll, the whole forming two spiral chambers divided by said grooved rolls'in'to sections, so that when steam vis introduced into saidchambers' its passage through the casing is interrupted and instead threaded roll it forces its way through the enof passing in a' spiral course around said gnein a line substantially parallel with the axis of said roll, causingfsaid roll to turn -because of the' constantly-increasing difference of varea of thread against which the steamv acta The threaded-roll I have called for convenience' the piston-roll and the rolls the valve-rolls.

My invention will be understood ence to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a hori'z'ontalsection of an engine;l embodying my invention# Fig. 2 is an end elevation Fig. 3, a section online 3 3 of Fig. n1; Fig. 4a side elevation of two engines con -pien together in e manner te be described, Figa 5 'showing another mode of coupling, 2 lpartlyin `plan and partly in section.

A `isthe casing, which is provided withtwo removable heads B and C, attached thereto by sere/ws d,assh'own,the whole inclosing the piston-roll D and the valve-rolls E F'. The pistonvroll D is provided with a double thread dd' of increasing pitch, which is suciently .high to entirely close .the 'passage between the .extorior of -the-piston-'roll D andthe interior of the casing A andA prevent the free passage of steam from one end of the; casing to the other,

forming -walls for this purpose. The valvegrolIsE are made with grooved ooveiseve',Y corresponding'-' to the threads .d ','and the valve-roll F is provided with grooves f f ','also corresponding to the threads d d', so that as the roll D turns the threads d' will fit within the grooves e e' ff' and cause 'the rollsE to rotate with the roll D.

The head Bis provided witha steam-i let' b, by which steam is admitted tothe-steam?" chamber b', from which'it passes into'the interior ofthe casing through ports b?. The

head C is provided with an exhaust-outlet c,

connected by the chamber c and ports c? with the interior of the casing. "Each .head is also provided with recesses d2 efz. -In each of the recesses e2 f2, whichl are located opposite the axes of the valve-rolls E F, is a Vdisk csf,

and within the recess are ball-,bearings tov reduce the friction of the turning rolls. `Set screws e4 f4 and jam-nuts e5 f5 are also provided to adjust the bearings. i

G, by which powe' is conveyed from the engine. This shaft ay be a reducedl section of the roll projecting from each end thereof or it may be a separate shaft passing through said roll, as shown in the drawings. The recesses d2 are located aboutA this shaft, and each contains an annulus d3 and ballbearings to reduce the friction of the piston-roll v D. These bearings are adjusted by the screws d, which attac the heads B C to the casing A. Stuiiiilg-bo es g ofl any suitable kind are provided about the shaft.

It willbe seen that by reason of the increas-` ing pitch of the spirald da series of compartments or inclosu-res H H', &c., andJ J.' will The piston-roll D is provided with a shaft -formed onfthe upper and lower sides of 'the piston-rollD, which will increase in size 'as the roll rotates, thus allowing the steam .to 4gradually expand, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) `and the roll Dis rotated because the pressure 'of the steam in'endeavoring to expand 'acts upon the threads of increasing-pitch which pact .it might give Aa turn to the screw, would tend to take a spiral course around the pistonroll, between its threads, .and thus fail to give a cedo/4s any lasting rotary motion to the piston-roll. Each valve-roll being provided with what might be called a form of -involute groove and beingin rolling contact with the pistonroll,what maybe termedupperandlower? recesses are for med,so that substantially all of the steam which enters ou recess remains in that recess throughout its passage through the casing, and by acting on the thread in front loiof it, which has an increasing pitch over the 'one behind it, .exerts a power to turn the roll, dependent upon the didereuce of relative area between the exposed surfaces of the threads in front and behind a given body of steam. tgfAs shown', this difference is due to the difference between the angle of the two threads with the axis of the roll; but itis evident that this difference of area might be secured by changing the height of the thread. I prefer to have twovalve-rolls, because the space about this piston-roll is thus divided into two diametrically opposite equal recesses, and the piston-roll is balanced by steam-pressure on both sides of it. A certain small proportion of the steam will pass through the grooves in the valve-rolls. Some of this will collect in the pockets' a in the inside of the casing and serve to balance any pressure exerted by the steam in contact with the piston-roll to force the valve-rolls outward. l In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown two methods of coupling two of my piston-rolis'together. In Fig. 4 the same shaft G passes through both piston-rolls, the rolls being turned end for end, so that the inlets blwill be in vthe adjacent ends of the casing, the interior construct-ion of the two engines' being alike, except that the threads are rightfhauded in one engine and left-handed in the other. In Fi 4o this case by carrying the shaft G through b oth rolls D and keying them thereto and in mounting the/ two rolls E on the same shaft and the two rolls F on the same shaft, The steam-inlets b in this case lead directly into the middle of the casing, so as to supply steam vto the chambers H J In this case each end of the engine is provided withexhaust-heads C, like those above described.

In operation the steam inlet and exhaust are opened, and the steam entering the casin i passes .into the two spiral chambers an forces its way to and out of the exhaust, bei

ing prevented from taking a spiral course by 5 5 reason of the valve-rolls. Owing to the spiral nature of the walls which retard the forward movement of theI steam and the straight walls f which confine it laterally, it acts upon the 6o 'as a wedge-like action, forcing it to one fact, due to the diier'euoe -in area between the parts ef the threads exposed to tbe steam,

c5 the area-of the thread or wall in fronte! the steam being ster than the areaA of the thread behin it, so4 that the steam pressing 5 the cylinders are also coupled together, in

of said thread .with what might be described roughly the th in all directions alike exerts more force on the greater movable area and causes the roll to rotate. As the steam passes along the roll the area opposed to it increases, so as to render very effective the expanding force of the steam and utilize it economically.

What I claim as my inventionisi. A steam-engine havinga suitable casin g containing a piston roll provided with a spiral double thread of increasing pitch and two grooved valve-rolls all arranged together as described, and with a suitable steam inlet and exhaust, whereby there are formed a series of expanding compartments each presenting an increased area to the expansive force ofthe steam, and the steam is caused to pass through said engine in contact with the entire length of each of said spiral threads upon the piston-roll, and in a line substan tially parallel with the axis of said roll, as set forth.

.2. Asteamlengne having asuitable casing, an inlet and exhaust, said casing containing a piston-roll adapted to be rotated and having two spiral threads running from one end to the other of the roll, in combination with two valve-rolls, each grooved to receive thel threads u n said pistonll, whereby the space between said threads and is prevented from taking a spiral course, said threads aifording an increasing area op osed to the action of the steam, asit passes rom the entrance to the outlet of said engine, as set forth.

3. A steam-engine consisting of a casing having a suitable inlet and exhaust and containinga roll adated to berota'ted and rovided with two Vt readsef increasing p tch and means consisting ,of two valve-rolls' provided-with grooves to receive said threads, whereby the space between said threads is divided into expanding sections of increasing size extending from one end of said roll to the other, as and for the-purposes set forth.

4. Ina steam-engine, aleasing and pistonroll mounted and adaptedtobe rotated therein and provided with two threads of an increasin pitch from one end to the other of said ro l, each thread having two or more turns about said roll and two 'valve-rolls of ual len hwith said piston-roll and each grov ed wit spiral grooves-conforming to t e sha of the' threads upon said piston-:OIL sa d valve-.rolls being mounted ene on each side iston roll and in rolling contact therewit in combination with a steam inlet and exhaust, as and for the purposes set forth.

. In .a steam-engine, afvalvecasing eenl fnin three rolls mounted in the same plane side, as xt were, and thus giving the necessary and ag rotary motion to the piston-roll. This is, in-

s ted to rotate with a rolling contact, the mid le relibeing provided withV two o r more threads having aninereasin pitch from one endthereofl to the other an the outer rolls bein provided withgrooves to receive on said middle loll, said casing also being provided in tta interiorwith a series steam is et into and retained within the loo IIO

of pockets along two of its sides adjacent to the outer sides of said outer rolls, as set forth.

mounted to rotate upon the same axial line, and two pairs of valve-rolls, each pairalso 6. A steam-engine consisting of three rolls each adapted to be rotated, the middlel roll 5 being provided with two or more threads of increasing pitch' from one end thereof to the other, and the two outer rolls being provided with grooves to receive said threads, said rolls being arranged in rolling contact with each other whereby there is formed a series of expanding compartments one below and one 'above said piston-roll, each adapted to balance the other, said casing also being'provided with two sets of steam-pockets, one set being substantially opposite the other and each set being upon the farther side of said outer rolls from the-middle of said casing, as 4 being rnonnted to 'rotate upon the same axial line, said piston-rolls being provided with a thread of increasingjpitch running froml the middle outward and in opposite directions, and said valve -rolls being provided with grooves adapted to receive the threads on the piston-roll adjacent to them, in combination y with means whereby said rolls are suitably mounted and the steam is fed to and retained within the chambers formed between said threads and allowed to exhaust therefrom, as and for the purposes set forth.

my name this 14th day of, April, 1899.

ROBERT E. BREWER.

' and for the purposes set forth. Vifitnesses:l

7. The steam-engine above described, con- GEORGE O. G. COALE, 2o sisting of two piston -rolls each suitably E. A. GUILD.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set v5 

